The full circle has begun. I can feel it. It’s their turn to self-destruct. All the cards are in place for them to be possibly the greatest baseball team ever assembled. But it won’t happen. This isn’t just something I smelled in the air or had a revelation I had after I slipped in the shower and clunked my noggin. The Yankees will falter this year, and my rationale can be simply attributed to one man: Manny Alexander.

And nobody better give me that, ‘Aww, now you’ve jinxed the Sox!’ crap. I jinx them with my mere presence at Fenway, but this year I’ve vowed to stay away for as long as possible. No, the inspiration for my ideas come right out of last year’s Red Sox soap opera season. Jealousy and selfishness. Self-inflicted poison. Ridiculously dwelling on the past. Nagging injuries. But now that the Sox have ridded themselves of these things, in a miraculous turn of events, Manny Alexander has somehow brought all these things to New York.

First, I’ll start with the hilarity that will be known as the “Ruben Rivera Spectacular.” In this first and only episode (FOX may order more later), Rivera stole a glove out of fellow teammate Derek Jeter’s locker, then sold them for profit. Rivera got caught and was booted off the team. This sort of nonsense seems like it should be coming from the Sox clubhouse. But instead, it’s coming from that of the Yankees.

All of this lovely drama was caused by former Red Sox utility-man Manny Alexander, who the Yankees invited to camp, when he apparently introduced Rivera to the merchandise dealer who Rivera later tried to sell Jeter’s glove to. Alexander was asked to leave camp as a result. But he’d already infected the team. Good old Manny. I knew he was good for something. When he was with the Sox, he was good for nothing, except that goofy smirk he always sported that left everyone clueless as to whether he had any idea what he was doing or whether he just saw some fan sock Wally the Green Monster in the gut.

But it’s clear that the Sox have been living with a sickness since 1918. The only problem is that all the Sox players have had it, but they could never seem to pass it on to the right team, specifically Team Money Bags. It’s too bad. Roger Clemens, Rick Cerone, Mike Stanley. They all had their chance well before Alexander came along. But at the same time the new ownership has hopefully disinfected the Sox organization of its sickness and started with a clean slate, Alexander, who apparently still was carrying this illness, has infected the Yankees with phony baloney and stupidity. One day we’ll be thanking Manny Alexander, a day not many would have predicted.

Alexander’s presence at training camp has effectively and nonsensically triggered more chaos. There is the whole business about Mariano Rivera dwelling on the past, namely last year’s World Series. That’s usually the Red Sox department. But now Rivera, who commands himself almost like a robot that is phased by nothing and concentrates only on his game and what lies ahead, is dragging up Scott Brosius’ inability to turn a critical double-play in last year’s Game 7 that could’ve cost them the World Series. His emotions are getting in the way of his machine-like presence on the mound, and if it’s haunted him this long to foolishly address it with the press, maybe it will affect his confidence. Could Manny’s silliness be rubbing off on Rivera? I say yes.

As for nagging injuries, the Yankees major corporate takeover, Jason Giambi, is slow to get past his hamstring soreness. Maybe it’s the steroids Manny lent Giambi, the same steroids that were found when the police searched Manny’s car after he’d lent it to the Red Sox batboy. Then there’s Rondell White, who said he felt something “funny” when he was throwing on Saturday. Now he’s reduced to hitting off a tee and restricted from throwing. Maybe you should ask Dr. Alexander about that one, chief. Ramiro Mendoza will probably start the season on the DL with neck stiffness. Andy Pettitte also might not be ready for the beginning of the season with elbow problems. Don’t ask me to explain how Alexander has induced this bizarre chain of events. I’m in COM; I don’t take science classes.

But the Sox no longer have players-relations nightmare Dan Duquette, nor do they have all the crybabies from last year. They are virtually injury-free and are ahead of the Yankees record in spring training, which really only has symbolic meaning. The newly acquired Rickey Henderson has even shifted into the Red Sox role of hating the Yankees with his comments about Orlando Hernandez last week. This team so desperately wants to beat the Yankees, a situation the new owners know they must provide. This year, thanks to Manny Alexander, it might just happen.